The Commons
Illustration: Fabio Consoli
Ideas, achievements, and events from around Duke Law School
Duke Law responds to Covid-19
A semester like no other As the scale and scope of the novel coronavirus became known in early March, the Law School moved quickly to transition to remote instruction and operations.
By Jeannie Naujeck 2
Duke Law Magazine • Summer 2020
I
n early March, when the proliferation of the novel coronavirus in the United States was quickly becoming apparent, Duke Law School students had just begun their spring break.
Scattered around the country and the world, few would have been aware of the extraordinary measures being taken to protect the Duke and Duke Law communities and continue their teaching, research, and service missions in the face of a growing pandemic. But by the time they returned to Durham or their hometowns the following week, the university and the Law School were focused on responding to Covid-19: transitioning to online learning for the remainder of the semester; canceling, postponing, or virtualizing events; moving staff in every department to a fully at-home work environment; and expanding resources to assist students through unprecedented upheaval in their personal and academic lives. Law School administrators began contingency planning for operational disruptions well before Duke University’s official announcement on March 10 that on-campus classes and events would be suspended. Because mobilization began early, Duke Law
